1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to flexible articles such as surgeon's glove and similar articles, and to improved methods of producing such articles. More specifically, the invention relates to surgeon's gloves having moisture absorbent and lubricant means.
2. Description of the State of the Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,695 of Podell et al describes a surgeon's glove in which the need for lubricating powders for ease of donning is eliminated by providing a hydrophilic coating of a hydrogel plastic as the interior surface of the glove. This patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,695 recites the said coating as being formed of a polymerized coating of hydrogel resin that is applied to the interior surface of a conventional flexible vulcanized rubber glove. A solution of silicone resins may be applied to the polymerized coating so as to increase the lubricity of the coating.
Co-pending application Ser. No. 408,889 filed by the applicants on Aug. 13, 1982, of which this is a continuation-in-part, and co-pending application Ser. No. 408,094 filed by applicant Goldstein on Aug. 13, 1982, which is a continuation-in-part of abandoned application Ser. No. 216,890 filed on Dec. 16, 1980, describe a hydrogel coating polymer and a process for applying the polymer to the inner surface of a vulcanized surgeon's glove. These applications and U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,695 are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
Other U.S. patents describe the coating of other flexible rubber articles, such as catheter and a bathing cap with such hydrogel polymers by causing them to be dipped in a casting resin with the polymer being subsequently polymerized onto the rubber substrate.
Other patents relating to this art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,326,742; 3,607,473; 3,966,530; 3,940,533; 3,585,103; 3,901,755; 3,966,530; 3,745,042; 3,925,138; 3,930,076; 4,125,477; 4,024,317; 3,326,742; and 4,110,495; and U.K. Pat. Nos. 1,028,446; and 859,297.
Co-pending UK provisional application, No. 8225200 filed on Sept. 3, 1982, and co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 445,436, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,154, entitled "Dipped Rubber Article", filed on the date of this application by the applicants jointly with other inventors includes disclosures of the instant invention. In turn, the instant application includes disclosures of said applications as an embodiment of the instant invention under production conditions. The other applications do not claim the instant invention, and the instant application does not claim the invention of the other applications. The said U.S. application is hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
None of the cited patents or patent applications suggest the instant invention as described and claimed herein.